August 20, 2018
“THE ROEBLING MURALS”
by Robert Dafford
Best known for the Brooklyn Bridge, three years earlier in 1866 a John A. Roebling-designed prototype opened linking Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky—and for the intervening years was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The entertainment district at the foot of the bridge in Kentucky is now known as Roebling Point and from 2002 to 2005 Louisiana-based, internationally recognized muralist Robert Dafford led a team of artists creating a history of Covington at this gateway, on the Ohio River floodwall. A series of 18 panels begin with ancient buffalo trails that laid the basis for early transportation routes, and highlight significant people, places, and events of the city’s past. Detailed above is the story of Baptist minister and successful lumber dealer Jacob Price, who helped establish the first Covington schools for African American children. @daffordmurals